


Life After Youth

by twelvepercentofaplan



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: Best Friends, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Other, Poor Life Choices, Sad Ending, Slice of Life, Talking, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 20:32:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10498929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twelvepercentofaplan/pseuds/twelvepercentofaplan
Summary: In the middle of June, a cat and a fox sit at the railroad tracks. Fresh out of high school and ready to take on the world, Greggory Lee has his life on a pretty good path. He has Angus, a grin on his face, and a plan to put in motion.But Casey Hartley?He's not so sure.But the train tracks sure do seem more tempting than ever.The story of the last time Greggory Lee ever spoke with the boy who went away with only a switchblade leaving his trace.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So look at that. I managed to pull something else outta my ass.
> 
> Recently I've seen a fuck ton of art for Casey. And it kinda sucks that we didn't get to know more about him. He seemed like an imperative part of everyone's lives, especially Gregg's, given his reaction when he learned of Casey's fate.
> 
> So I decided to expand on the dynamic between the two a bit.
> 
> Again, I'm writing this on mobile, any weird formatting is on part of that, but it should be fine.
> 
> Title is taken from the lyrics of the Green Day song Outlaws.

The June weather.

Oh, how Gregg **_loves_ ** the June weather, especially when the sun is beginning set on this tiny town of Possum Springs. Sky turning from blue to orange to purple in a watercolor-esque pattern; the warm breeze that blows by every now and again; the ball of radiation in the sky called the sun is peeking over the horizon, almost as if it's watching the two who sit on the track to make sure they're still looking at it.

It's a picture perfect image.

And Gregg sits at the railroad tracks with a friend on his left, his own way of saying that the dawn of the night looks damn nice stirring around his brain.

“Dude, this weather's so nice. And that sunset? That's some default computer wallpaper shit right there.”

And his companion who sits at his side, an orange feline in a black hoodie and jeans, gives a loud, nasally laugh. “Or a shitty painting done by an angsty teen trying to be deep.”

“Maybe a stereotypical ending shot to a crap romantic comedy?” Silence between the two before the fox guffaws in what seems like victory. “No one up on my comment, huh?”

Casey Hartley rolls his eyes. “Thinking,” he answers plainly. He reaches into the hoodie’s left pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

“C’mon, loser,” Gregg says, nursing Casey’s arm with his elbow.

“Ya wanna know what it looks like?” the cat replies before placing a cigarette between his lips and revealing a lighter a moment later. After lighting the nicotine filled tube and inhaling, he puffs out a long drawl of smoke into the air. “It looks like the sun. Setting. In the middle of summer.”

The fox snickers. “Daaaamn, that's a good one,” he teases.

“You took all the good ones. Plus that crap is you and Mae’s thing, man.” Casey holds the cigarette out to the fox in offering.

Gregg takes it. He doesn't smoke very often. This would have been the first time in many months. It's too expensive of an investment for him, especially since they can be so addictive.

But he does like the flavor to a degree.

Gregg quickly inhales from the filtered end and then slowly lets the smoke deep out. He coughs lightly, handing the cigarette back to Casey, who is grinning like an idiot at his friend.

“ **_What_ **?” Gregg asks defensively.

“Still can't inhale without coughing up a fuckin’ lung.”

“Shut up, idiot.”

Casey laughs at the fox's humiliation and Gregg just rolls his eyes before they both look back out into the sun’s direction.

It's quiet for a bit. Casey smokes his cigarette and Gregg sits with his knees pulled close. He thinks about what Angus wanted to do for dinner tonight. Maybe they could head out to Donut Wolf. Or maybe go somewhere out by the mall. There's a lot of restaurants in that area that aren't limited to small diners and pizza places.

Gregg thinks he could go for a huge, cheesy burger. And fries. And a fizzy, sugary drink.

“How's Angus and you, bud? Like, relationship wise?” Casey's voice suddenly interrupts Gregg's fantasy of greasy, delicious food.

“Huh? Oh, um, we’re good,” the fox answers shortly, shaking away the thought of gooey cheese cascading down a beef patty.

Despite the quick nature in which he'd answered that may suggest otherwise, he and Angus are doing very, very well. If he's being honest, the loud, hyperactive fox had expected the bear to not be capable of tolerating him as long as he had been. Not just in terms of dating, either. They've been friends for years, surprisingly, and they were going on two years of being in a relationship together.

They were doing great. And Gregg is damn well glad that they are.

“We, uh, we're thinking if getting a place together soon. Maybe somewhere in town. Don't know how long it'll take, but…” He shrugs. “That's the plan for now.”

Casey nods slowly as he listens to Gregg explain his future plans with his boyfriend, a tiny smile poking at the corner of his mouth. “Good. You guys are good together. Never seen a better couple.”

The fox scratches the back of his head, heat rising in his face. Nice compliment. “Thanks. I wasn't sure at first since I'm so 'whoa’ and he’s so… nice?” Gregg lets the word hang in the air. “I mean… yeah, I dunno.”

“Opposites attract. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he really cares about you.” A moment later he adds, “And you're a nice dude, Gregg. Just loud. The bear’s a little more reserved is all. You're so 'whoa’ and he's so 'okay, chill.’”

Gregg hesitates before agreeing. “Yeah, that's a better way to put it.”

It doesn't make much sense, but somehow it also does in the fox’s mindset.

The vulpine sits for a moment before laughing under his breath, the mention of Angus triggering a memory in his brain from a few months back. “Wish you would've been at prom, dude. It was hilarious when Angus totally win prom king outta a drawing.”

If it seems unconventional to do the prom king/queen deal with a simple drawing out of a random hat, that's because it is. But that's how they did it.

For some reason.

Because his town is weird.

The feline scrunches his face up and flicks the burned down cigarette off toward the left. “Yeah, I know. And you yelled about 'I'm dating the prom king, everyone else go fuck yourself!’ out of pure, unadulterated adrenaline.”

They both laugh wildly, heads tilted back by the force of the laughter erupting from their throats.

“Anyways, I didn't wanna go, really,” Casey continues after a moment of composing himself. “You know I don't like any’a them dances, Gregg. I didn't wanna pay 40 bucks just to sit on the wall, thinking how my ex looks like shit in her dress.”

The fox snickers. “Bitter much?”

“Depends on the time of day. Mostly joking, anyway.”

“I was gonna say, who did you even date? Was sit just real low-key?”

“None of your business, shithead.”

“Don't call me shithead, dickface.”

The feline flicks the fox in the back of the head with his swift speed. “Shh. You're ruining the shitty sunset painting default wallpaper with your loudness.”

A few minutes pass once again before one of them picks up the conversation again.

“Gregg?”

“Yeah?”

“I ever tell you that I have literally no idea what I'm gonna do?”

Oh shit. Gregg feels a chill on his neck. He'd almost expected a joke or a sly remark about Gregg and Angus’ sex life (which is no one's business, thank you very much.) But the cat is in no joking mood right now. There's a coldness in his voice, an unwavering tensity in his face as he looks out, the orange blaze highlighting the tiny accents on his face and neck.

It's a strange question, too. Gregg and Casey, while they may be close, haven't shared very many moments that verge on seriousness like this one seems to be teetering toward. The most serious thing they've talked about was Gregg awkwardly telling the cat that he was dating Angus.

And even once the fox stuttered the news out like a klutz, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, ears pressed down on his head, and a terrified look on his face, Casey didn't even give a big “I'm so proud of you for being upfront about how you feel about our mutual friend” speech.

The cat literally high fives him, says “I fucking **_knew_ ** you two would date” and brought the two a case of beer to celebrate later on that night.

Lord knows how he got a hold of it. They all just graduated and Casey's still underage.

Must've been one of those crimes.

“Whaddaya mean?”

The cat explains, cracking his neck with a rolling motion. “Like, y’see, you got plans with Angus, getting your shit together. Mae's going off to college. And me?” The cat scoffs, looking to the fox with a smirk. “I’m just kinda here. I don't know what I'm gonna do. Like, I'm not scared of the future or anything. But it's just… y'know, weird. Things are going fast.”

“Dude, you could totally come live with me 'n’ Angus!” the fox cries out, slapping Casey on the shoulder. “That'd be so cool! Dynamic **_trio_ **!!”

The orange cat laughs at the enthusiasm. “Nah, dude. Don't think that'd work out well. It's your guys’ life and I don't wanna be barging in on that.”

“It's not barging if you're invited,” the fox replies with a sly grin, as if to say 'gotcha.’

Casey rolls his eyes, ear flicking when the breeze that picks up. “I mean, I always talk about just jumping on a train that comes down these tracks…” He points a clawed finger out, aiming far down the train tracks that just go on for miles. “See where it takes me. That'd be pretty fucking cool, I think.”

It was true. The cat usually talked about it in some way or another. Sometimes he'd speak as if it were a joke, like if Mae makes a bad pun and he threatens to jump on the next train that comes by to get away from her as soon as possible.

But when Gregg can see in Casey’s eyes when he speaks of it that sometimes he is serious. There's a spark, a life that enters his eyes as he goes on and on about the endless possibilities. Where he could end up, who he could meet. It's a thrill, and it’s a thrill an outlaw like the feline needs.

It's a thrill an outlaw like Gregg can only **_understand_ **.

“Yeah…” The fox shrugs. “I mean, I dunno if that's the best thing, dude. You could move somewhere else? Find a job or something.”

Casey sighs, taking out the tiny carton of cigarettes from his pocket. “Shut,” he grumbles as something clatters onto the dirt.

It's a pocket knife.

“Ooooh,” Gregg cries in awe. “Knife fight?” he suggests, reaching for his own folded up blade from his jacket pocket.

“Nah. Not me, man,” Casey declines kindly, lighting another cigarette up.“It's not that easy, Gregg,” the cat explains, shoving the dirty pocket knife back into his hoodie pocket. “I really could just do it. Tonight, tomorrow… Not like anyone here would really would miss me anyhow.”

Gregg clenches his fists that sit in his lap and turns to Casey with a frown. “Dude, I'd miss you. Mae's already off at college for early classes or something. I'm gonna have Angus and that's it? That's it.”

“What about that Bea girl?”

“I mean yeah, her too.” Casey scoffs a little at that while Gregg continues to plead his case. “But dude, no. What, would we just never hear from you again? Just hop on a train and boom, gone? What about doing crimes with me and Mae?”

“No, Gregg. I'd call. I'd see how you guys were doing. Somehow…?”

That explanation doesn't satisfy the fox, who gives the cat a flat, unimpressed look. “But when? A year from now? Two, even?”

“Dude, I dunno.” Casey takes a long drag, buffing it out into the autumn air. “Maybe I'm just talking shit,” he admits in a puff of smoky breath.

The fox nods. “Talking **_mad_ ** shit. Like you literally wanna live in that Daybreak Grey song… where, like… Uh…? Shit.”

“How's it go?”

Gregg hums what he can recall of the opening melody, mumbling a few nonsense lyrics that go, “Life, something duuuuude? Faded-”

“You're thinking of Outlaws.” Casey sits on the title for a moment before raising an eyebrow at Gregg. “Dude, you're right. At the end if that song it talks about taking a train and never coming back.”

“You wanna be the lead singer **_sooo_ ** bad, my dude,” the fox muses with a toothy grin.

Casey punches the fox’s shoulder, the leather creaking from the force of the punch. “You wanna be the lead singer from Fall Out Koi. Leather jacket, skinny jeans, boots. Might as well song me a song of theirs and that's literally you.”

“First of all!” Gregg waves a finger in the air. “I don't have a hat. He always wears hats.”

“Angus do-”

“ **_Second off_ **!!” Gregg interrupts in a matter-of-fact manner, throwing up a second finger in the cat’s face, who laughs. “I don't have a voice like that. Asking me to sing a song of theirs is the same thing as saying, 'Hey, drop a brick on your foot and run a mile’. Impossible.”

Casey snickers, taking a quick puff of his cigarette. “You are something else Gregg.” He holds his fist out. “Best something I know.”

“Hell yeah I am.” Gregg accepts Casey's offer of a fist bump a moment after. “You're pretty cool too, I guess.”

“Yeah, I'm halfway decent.”

Gregg smiles and lets out a heavy sigh. The air has a pleasant smell laced through it, almost like an old bonfire coming to an end. The sun is getting progressively lower, the night time starting to-

Oh shit.

“Wait, what time is it?”

Casey shrugs, saying, “Probably close to 8 or so? Why?” through the cigarette perched between his teeth.

“Ah, crap!” The fox jumps to his feet, racing over to his bike. “Me and Angus had a date tonight.”

The cat rises to his feet calmly, striding over to Gregg, who kicks off the kickstand and sits on the banana-shaped seat. “Have fun, dude. Tell him I said hi.”

“You don't wanna ride back home?” Gregg offers, nodding backwards to indicate the back tire. “I mean, might as well, right?”

The cat considers the offer but shakes his head a minute later. “Nah. I'm gonna hang here for a bit longer. Maybe try to get into that locked up door in Food Donkey.”

“Alright, dude.” The fox places one booted foot on a pedal, the other holding him up as he points an inch from the cat's whiskered nose. “Don't you go jumping on a train, you idiot. I'll find you and kick your ass if you do.”

Casey grins, giving his best friend a reassuring slap on the shoulder. “Promise I won't, bud. Same time tomorrow?”

“Totally. I'll be here. Mind if I bring Angus maybe?”

“Do whatever you wanna do. Now get outta here and have the date of a lifetime.”

Gregg smiles widely as he starts it pedal away. “Will do. And, um, don't worry about that stuff you mentioned earlier, okay?” Gregg says earnestly. “I don't like seeing you all worried about stuff, dude. You're gonna be fine.”

Casey is surprised by the fox. Usually he'd just ride off without another word, but this is… odd.

“Yeah, sorry about that, bud. Just thinking too much is all. I'll be fine.”

“Good.” The fox likes that reply, seeing the grin cross his face in record timing. He gives a quick two finger salute before he peddles off, yelling out, “See ya tomorrow, shithead!”

Casey smirks, calling after the fox riding away from the sunset. “You got it, dickface.”

And the tragic thing?

No.

He won't.

Gregg **_won't_ ** see Casey again.

 

**_-0-_ **

 

“Ohhhhh, June. Best month. Best time.”

The spokes on the wheels of the black bike that holds Gregg up roll to a steady halt. He slides off carefully, kicking up the kickstand with his toe as he takes in a deep, heavy breath through his nose.

“Sooooo **_good_ ** ,” he groans, inspecting his surroundings with a quick glance back and forth. No Casey yet. But it is about 6:00. The cat should be here any minute.

So Gregg takes a seat, looking in the direction of the abandoned supermarket that the tracks go past.

He snickers at the thought of the last time he had been in there. Mae, Casey, and him had all discovered the strange locked door within. And how Mae **_really_ ** tried busting it down with the force of her entire body ramming into it through her shoulder.

Clearly it didn't work.

And it's those silly thoughts that keep Gregg entertained for the next ten minutes. He sits on in the dirt, black helmet sitting at his side on a patch of dying grass, while going through all of the insanity that this year has given him. Graduation, the prom from hell, a promise to start a new life with Angus… it all seems like everything is going so well.

At the thought of the bear, the fox grins to himself. Angus had refused the offer to hang out by the tracks today on part of being busy. And being busy translated into the bear having his first day at his new job. It was a short shift, mostly for training purposes and the like, but it was stills first day nonetheless.

And Gregg was proud of the guy. Now he just needed a place to get some money.

Maybe Pastabilities? They're very busy, and Gregg would be the coolest delivery guy ever, pulling up to every place on his bike. But in hindsight it wouldn't be ethical in winter times. Cars have heaters. Bikes? Not so much.

Donut Wolf? No. And not because he hates the place. It's because he **_loves_ ** the food. If he were to work there, he'd get sick if the donuts and cakes in no time.

And he’d probably get really fat, too.

Snack Falcon? Maybe. It's a chill little spot. The owner might need some help.

The vulpine nods to himself. He's going to follow up on that soon.

And speaking of following up, where was Casey?

Gregg glances around again, ears twitching in irritation. Ten minutes have passed. Casey is never late. And if he were to have to cancel for some reason, he would have messaged Gregg earlier today.

“Casey?” the fox randomly calls out. No response, other than a warm breeze on his face. A nice retort, but not one he wants to hear.

Huffing a breath, the fox pulls himself up, looking down the tracks to be sure no trains are coming along, making their way toward wherever they're going. Seeing the coast is clear, he hops up onto one of the railings, balancing precariously.

He's pulled up on his bike and seen Casey do this numerous times. Balancing on the slick, shiny beam that curve past the store just to pass time. One foot ahead of the other. One at a time.

And again, this goes on for some time.

“ **_Dude_ ** ,” Gregg mutters angrily. “Casey, I swear to God, I am gonna leave if you're hiding from me. I really don't wanna chill out here by myself.” Now it seemed pretty shitty that Angus wasn't able to come out with him tonight. Here he is, alone, standing like a lone wanderer on the railroad tracks.

But to Gregg's yelling?

No reply.

He throws his hands in the air in defeat, flabbergasted by the lack of communication on the cat's part. Gregg growls as he throws his arms across his chest, stepping off the tracks  I and looking into the ground below his feet.

“Stupid… don't get why-”

And then he sees it.

It takes a moment for him to really register what it is. But when his brain comes full circle and screams out that the item he's seeing is familiar, Gregg feels a wave of panic.

The object lays adjacent to the tracks slightly crooked. The wooden, shiny handle scratched from wear and the blade shining bright against the orange sun.

It's Casey’s pocketknife.

Gregg swallows as he bends down and picks it up, holding it between his fingers like it's a baby. His knife? Why would Casey forget his knife here?

Out of the corner of his eye, Gregg sees the grey gleam of the railroad track.

Tracks.

Knife.

No Casey.

The fox grimaces. “Casey… didja…?”

He looks up, and then to his left, his gaze following the track that goes on for miles. Just miles and miles to travel, with a destination that is unknown to whoever happens to be watching it go by.

Maybe Casey did take Gregg’s advice. Maybe he decided to not worry anymore. Maybe he hit 'fuck it.’

He left town on a train, without a moment's hesitation.

Just like he always said he would.

Gregg grins half-heartedly, feeling a little sorrow poke at his chest. “Well, damn.” He folds the pocket knife back up and stuffs it into his jacket pocket. He keeps looking at the miles-long track, a flurry of thoughts running through his mind as he comes to terms with it.

Casey is gone.

Forever?

He can't be sure.

But if Casey is gone for good, that's okay. At least he's going to live and die anywhere else.

Just like the lyrics Casey wrote for band.

"Die Anywhere Else."

“Gonna miss ya,” the fox mumbles to the wind. It hurts, but he can't keep the smile off his face. He knew the cat wanted to be free of this town, but he never knew he'd get up the courage to do it.

Gregg just wishes that wherever he is, he's happy now.

The fox gives a little salute like he'd done the day before. “So long, bud. Hope you don't mind us keeping that song you wrote.” And with that, he turns around on his heel, grabs up his helmet, and rides the lonely road home.

And oh, the weather.

The June weather.

How Gregg just loves the June weather…

He loves the June weather, but nowadays?

Gregg resents June like no other.

June 27th sucks ass.

 

_I found a knife by the railroad track_

_You took a train and you can't go back_

_Forever now, forever now you'll roam_

  
_Outlaws - Green Day_

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand there ya have it.
> 
> It's a little sad, really. Poor Gregg, thinking his friend just left town...
> 
> But no. He didn't. As we all know.
> 
> Few notes:
> 
> \- The Prom King Thing - At my senior prom they literally drew names out of something. I always thought there was voting involved. So I wanted to implement it coz my best friend liTERALLY WAS PROM KING FOR GETTING HIS NAME PULLED OUT OF A FUCKING HAT.  
> \- Casey is a fun character to write. Since we aren't given much to work with other than him being a cat, we don't know much other than that he's a delinquent in many ways. So I gave him a Rocket-Raccoon meets Sly Cooper type of attitude. I think it fits his role pretty well.  
> \- Fall Out Koi - I'm not explaining what this is a play off of. If you don't get it you live under a fucking rock.  
> \- June 27th sucks ass.
> 
> Comments are appreciated. :)


End file.
